Bless the Child
by mabelreid
Summary: One Shot A tag to Memorium. Some of Reid's thoughts on his new duty as a Godfather to Henry.


_**Disclaimer: see my profile**_

_**A/n this is a tag for "Memorium." Enjoy and review if you like it or if you don't like it. All feedback is a gift.**_

One of the strangest days in his life was ending and for once he didn't have the words he needed to articulate what he was feeling.

If you had told him that morning, or even three days ago, that he would solve a twenty year old murder, meet his father again, and see his parents together again, he would have laughed at you. He would have said that you were nuts and belonged in Bennington next to his mother. Nevertheless, it had all happened! It was just too weird.

Now, he stood next to JJ's hospital bed with a newborn Henry in his arms. It was like the day had traveled some sort of strange loop, bringing him back to the beginning of the circle of life. And he was a Godfather now, wasn't that a kick in the pants.

His brain was beginning to get over the shock of his friend's request as he watched the little guy sleep. The enormity of what she asked him sort of hit him and he looked over at her. She was serenely watching him hold her baby as though she knew that he wouldn't hurt the boy. How did she know that? Was it some sort of new instinct that came along with being a mother? Because he couldn't believe how easily he'd agreed to take the baby from her. And, the strangest thing was that the little boy seemed to be okay with Reid holding him. The baby didn't cry or squirm away, curious... Was this the end of the Reid effect?

Everything was getting jumbled up in his head. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, or maybe it was seeing his dad again after all this time. He wondered suddenly what his dad had thought when he was born. What had been his dad's first thought about him? Had he been thinking somewhere in the back of his mind of leaving? No, that couldn't be right; his mother said that his dad had wanted more children. So he couldn't have been plotting to leave when he was a baby. This realization hit him like a ton of bricks falling on his chest. He couldn't breathe for a minute… His father hadn't hated him from the start. Tears pricked his eyes, but he held them back. What if Henry opened his eyes and looked up, it wouldn't do for him to see his Godfather crying. He had to be strong at all times from now on. Then his rational brain spoke up and reminded him that Henry was only hours old and the newborn couldn't focus directly on him. However, what if the baby could sense the tears and sadness? He would have to watch himself all the time so that Henry only saw someone that cared for him, and not an awkward and shy man that had little self-confidence outside the job.

The baby squirmed a bit and then settled down. Reid realized he was clutching the little guy a little too hard and he eased up a bit. Something hit him that hadn't hit him before. There was a quote from Scripture that he'd never understood before, but now he did.

"_Suffer the little children to come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven."_

So this is what Jesus had meant when he spoke those words. There was nothing purer or more innocent than a small child.

Henry made a little cooing noise in his sleep. Reid looked closely at the boy's face again and decided that he was going to help keep him innocent for as long as possible. Even if that goal was impossible, he was going to try. Also, he was going to make sure that Will never left. If he did, Reid would find him and let Morgan beat some sense into him before they dragged him back.

"Reid…"

JJ's voice interrupted his thoughts. How long had he been ignoring her while lost in his thoughts?

"Oh… sorry JJ," He looked over at her and she looked a little amused.

"You were a million miles away. Are you sure you're okay?"

There were many questions in that one inquiry he knew. "I'm fine…"

She grinned up at him, "Well okay then, but we'll talk later."

He nodded and then panicked when Henry began to cry. That little boy had a pair of lungs on him! "What did I do?"

"Maybe he's hungry; it's been about three hours since he last ate." JJ said so calmly that Reid could believe this was her fifth child instead of her first.

He discovered that he didn't want to give up the baby to his mother despite the fact that Henry was very unhappy at the moment.

"Okay…" He gave the baby to her very reluctantly and she smirked at him.

"You can have him back in a while, but I warn you that you'll have to fight Garcia for him when she gets back."

Well that wasn't a pleasant thought. One didn't come between a mother bear and her cub. He had a feeling that Garcia was taking her duties as Godmother more seriously than he was of his own duties as Godfather.

"Why don't you go get some sleep?"

"I'm okay…"

"Reid…" She was looking at him like he was dense.

"Oh right, I'm sorry JJ." His face was getting hot and he suddenly decided that the wall behind her was the best thing to look at. "I'll just go."

Then, he surprised JJ and himself by leaning down and kissing Henry's forehead. Then he kissed her cheek and fled the room.

"Well, one thing's for sure Henry, your life will never be dull while Spence is around." JJ told the boy with a smirk.


End file.
